Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

VA May Repeal Law Allowing Pipelines Access without Permission
January 22, 2015January 22, 2015

Accessing a landowner’s property without permission, and later (potentially) forcing that landowner to allow a pipeline across the property via eminent domain have never been supported by MDN. Neither, it seems, is it supported by other pro-drillers, especially those in Virginia. State Sen. Emmett Hanger from Augusta County, VA (located in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of VA) is a conservative, business-friendly and pro-drilling Republican. Hanger, like MDN, supports Dominion’s $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline (see Enormous Benefits for All Virginians from Atlantic Coast Pipeline). But Hanger, also like MDN, is not in favor of access without permission. Hanger is attempting to get a 2004 Virginia law repealed that allows access to private property without permission so Dominion (and others) can survey the property for pipeline routes. As Hanger points out, that kind of behavior is working against them in terms of community goodwill…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

Anti Groups Ask FERC to Stop Construction on Cove Point LNG Plant
December 31, 2014December 31, 2014

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently concluded a years-long process of evaluating all of the ins and outs, environmental and otherwise, for the proposed LNG (liquefied natural gas) export facility in Cove Point, Maryland. FERC decided, after years of research, untold thousands of comments and hundreds of hours of testimony, to approve the project (see Dominion Gets Final Fed Approval to Build Cove Point LNG Plant). Dominion has since broken ground and is actively building the new plant. So what do the environmental extremists from the Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) and Wild Virginia, people who hate fossil fuels, do? They tell FERC, “You didn’t do your job right, stop Dominion’s construction until we can file a lawsuit to block the project.” Before ADP and Wild Virginia can file a lawsuit, they must first get a “rehearing” with FERC, something they’ve requested. FERC takes its time with these things, and the groups are afraid Dominion’s construction will get far enough along that the project can’t be stopped. So ADP and Wild Virginia are asking FERC to temporarily stop the Dominion project until the rehearing, the inevitable ruling in favor of Dominion, and then a newly-minted lawsuit can be filed in federal court. In other words, ADP and Wild Virginia want FERC to help them stack the deck against Dominion. FERC isn’t playing along…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide VA | Virginia

Rural Virginians Want Internet, but Not Natgas Energy to Access It
December 31, 2014December 31, 2014

The publisher of Virginia Business, Bernie Niemeier, has a fascinating perspective on Dominion’s proposed $4.5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline project that would run through the Old Dominion state. Niemeier supports the pipeline, not the least of which because it will provide a huge economic boost ($450 million in direct benefit to the economy) and a jobs creator (2,800 jobs to build it). Niemeier notes the rapid objections to the pipeline–the “not here, not now, not ever” crowd that has come out of the woodwork. He compares their knee-jerk objections to efforts to build out internet access in rural areas, another project that would cut through the same “wilderness” areas and cause environmental “damage”. We love his observation at the short-sighted obtuseness of those who want access to the internet, but not the power that allows them to access it…
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Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Statewide VA | Virginia

Dominion Sues VA Landowners to Allow Survey for Pipeline
December 30, 2014December 30, 2014

In September, Dominion committed full force to building a 550-mile, $5 billion natural gas pipeline that will run from West Virginia, through Virginia and into North Carolina (see Dominion Commits to Major New Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Project). The project, called the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, will transport Marcellus and Utica Shale gas to the southeast. In November, Dominion asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin an environmental review of the project (see Dominion Asks FERC to Start Environmental Review of SE Pipeline). In order to do a proper review and to finalize plans for the route, Dominion surveyors need to get on property of landowners in Virginia who have, so far, refused them entry. So Dominion has now taken 40 Virginia landowners to court to force them to allow a survey…
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Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Dominion Fined $55K for Run-off in WV Creeks
December 17, 2014December 17, 2014

Dominion Transmission has agreed to pay $55,470 in fines for violating the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act. The fines are the result of WV Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) investigations that started in November of 2012. The DEP investigated “slips” or slopes restored after Dominion dug trenches to lay pipeline. The slopes were not restored properly and sediment and erosion ended up in area creeks. Dominion is required to fix the creeks and pay the fine…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Madison County | New York | Pipelines

The 2 Types of Opponents to a NY Compressor Plant
December 12, 2014December 12, 2014

In June 2014 Dominion filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to, among other things, build two new compressor stations in upstate New York: one in Chemung County, the other in Madison County–both along an existing pipeline. It’s part of Dominion’s New Market project (see Dominion’s NY Compressor Plants to Move More Marcellus Gas). Some residents in Madison County are opposed to the new 10,880 horsepower compressor that would be built near some homes. More than 150 residents spoke out against it at hearings held by FERC this year (public comments closed on Dec. 5). What struck us, in a recent story about opposition to the plant, is the dichotomy that exists among those who oppose it…
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Dominion Energy | Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pipelines | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Atlantic Coast Pipeline: $25M/Yr in Prop. Tax, $70M/Yr Econ Impact
December 3, 2014December 3, 2014

The arguments by anti-drillers against pipeline projects, like Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline which is slated to run from West Virginia to North Carolina, usually amount to this: “There’s no long-term benefit to the communities through which the pipeline runs. We have to ‘put up’ with the darned thing, but we see no benefit from it.” Benefit meaning money–other than a one-time fee paid to landowners through whose land it runs. Dominion is attempting to counter those criticisms by pointing out that once the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is fully operational, it will be paying in excess of $25 million per year to counties and local municipalities in property taxes (see the list below). During construction, the pipeline will generate nearly half a billion dollars per year in economic impact in WV, VA and NC. Once the construction phase is over, through permanent jobs created and associated ongoing operating costs for the pipeline, Dominion projects the pipeline will spur nearly $70 million per year of ongoing economic activity (see full report below)…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide WV | West Virginia

So-Called ‘Pipeline Air Force’ to Track Dominion Pipeline in WV
November 26, 2014November 26, 2014

Just when you think you’ve heard it all, along comes another bizarre twist from those who oppose shale drilling. As we’ve reported in a number of stories, Dominion is planning to build a 550-mile, $5 billion natural gas pipeline from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina. It’s called the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is now evaluating it (see Dominion Asks FERC to Start Environmental Review of SE Pipeline). Apparently a group of people who oppose the pipeline plan to keep an eye on it as it’s built (they must figure it’s a foregone conclusion that it will get built). They’ve somehow gotten ahold of three airplanes that they will use to spy from the sky as the pipeline gets built through the mountains of West Virginia…
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Dominion Energy | Education | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

Dominion Awards $1M in Grants to Colleges in Marcellus/Utica
November 19, 2014November 19, 2014

Each year Dominion, a major midstream and utility company with operations throughout the northeast, donates money in education grants via their Dominion Foundation to schools ranging from pre-K through college in the states where Dominion does business: Ohio, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Dominion, you may recall, is the company building the East Coast’s first LNG export facility, investing $3.4-$3.8 billion (see Dominion Breaks Ground on Cove Point, MD LNG Export Facility). They also want to build the 550-mile, $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline from WV to NC (see Dominion Asks FERC to Start Environmental Review of SE Pipeline). The company pumps a lot of money back into local communities where they operate with their investments. They also pump a good bit back via charitable contributions, including $1 million for colleges in the Marcellus/Utica region in 2014…
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Chemung County | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Madison County | Montgomery County | New York | Pipelines

Dominion’s NY Compressor Plants to Move More Marcellus Gas
November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

In June MDN told you about the Dominion New Market Project–a project that will build two new compressor plants and upgrade one other compressor station in upstate New York to help flow more abundant, cheap and clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas from Pennsylvania (and beyond) into the northeast (see Dominion Asks FERC for New Compressors in Upstate NY, WV). It is projected to cost $159 million and provide 112,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of extra natural gas capacity along ~200 miles of existing Dominion pipeline across upstate New York. The pipeline runs through the Horseheads, Ithaca, Syracuse and Albany areas. We have some details about that project, including details about the proposed compressor station in Chemung County, NY…
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Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Dominion Asks FERC to Start Environmental Review of SE Pipeline
November 3, 2014November 17, 2014

Last Friday Dominion officially asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin an environmental review of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline–a 550-mile, $5 billion natural gas pipeline that will run from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina to deliver 1.5 billion cubic feet per day of Marcellus and Utica Shale gas to VA and NC. Here’s Dominion’s statement from Friday…
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CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Processing Plants | Statewide MD

Dominion Breaks Ground on Cove Point, MD LNG Export Facility
October 31, 2014October 31, 2014

It was only Wednesday night of this week (Oct. 29) at the Oil & Gas Awards dinner in Oklahoma City, OK that a fellow attendee (from Eagle Rock) asked me at dinner when Dominion would break ground on the Cove Point LNG plant. I told him I had not heard they’ve yet broken ground, but it should be any day now. Little did I know how prophetic those words would be! Yesterday Dominion announced that they have now officially broken ground on the Cove Point LNG export plant, a project that will inject between $3.4 and $3.8 billion in Calvert County, Maryland and pump upward of 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of cheap, abundant Marcellus and Utica Shale gas…
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Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

NC Regulator Vote Means $5B Atlantic Coast Pipeline Moves Forward
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

An important milestone has been achieved on the way to building the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline–a project that will run from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina (see Dominion Commits to Major New Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Project). The important milestone that just happened is the approval of North Carolina regulators that will allow Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas to make contracts between their utilities and commercial divisions for gas transportation on the proposed pipeline. That is, by unanimous vote, the regulators just gave these companies permission to do business with themselves. Let us explain…
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Doddridge County | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Smaller Dominion Pipeline Coming in WV – Part of Atlantic Coast?
October 22, 2014October 22, 2014

Dominion plans to build a 550-mile, $5 BILLION pipeline that will carry Marcellus and Utica Shale gas from West Virginia into Virginia and eventually to North Carolina (see Dominion Commits to Major New Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Project). As part of that project, or perhaps in addition to it, they plan to build a smaller diameter 34-mile pipeline, called the Supply Header project, from Wetzel County through Doddridge County and into Harrison County, where it will connect to the new Atlantic Coast pipeline…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Randolph County | West Virginia

Verbal Dueling at Anti-Pipeline Meeting in Randolph County, WV
October 17, 2014October 17, 2014

A couple of West Virginians verbally sparred at an “open house” conducted by the West Virginia Wilderness Lovers yesterday to essentially bad mouth and denigrate Dominion and their planned $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline project. The incident happened in Mill Creek (Randolph County), WV. One local landowner, who we will charitably say was making some wild claims about Dominion and the pipeline (it’s going to blow up and burn his family to ashes), was challenged by a pipeline union worker, also from Randolph County…
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CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Statewide MD

Dominion Midstream IPO Blows by Best Expectations
October 16, 2014October 16, 2014

On Tuesday MDN told you that Dominion was looking to raise $350 million with an initial public offering (IPO) for its new Dominion Midstream subsidiary (see Dominion Midstream IPO Seeks $350M for Cove Point Work). Today we’re happy to report the numbers are in–and Dominion surpassed their goal…
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